Fresno Falcons Drop Some On Utah Grizzlies and Take Win 6-1 - ECHL Quarterfinals

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - West Valley City, Utah – Mike Ramsay scored a pair of power-play goals, and Jake Moreland stopped 24 Utah shots, to lead the Fresno Falcons to a 6-1 win on Friday in game four of the National Conference Quarterfinals. Fresno evens the series at two games a piece with the win.

The road team is now 4-0 in the series, and is 11-2-1 in 14 meetings between the two clubs this year.

Oren Eizenman got Fresno off to a quick start, scoring the game’s first goal just 1:56 into the opening period. Eizenman took a pass from Kenny Bernard on the near post and buried a shot past goaltender Nathan Lawson for his fourth goal of the series. Eizenman has scored Fresno’s first goal in each of the four games.

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Ramsay doubled the Falcons’ lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal at 10:28. Brady Leisenring set up the play by keeping in a Utah clearing attempt at the left point, and moving the puck down low. Luke Curtin then took a shot from the right-wing side, which was deflected past Lawson by Ramsay, who notched his first goal of the series.

Fresno did not let up in the second period, out-shooting Utah 17-11, and adding three goals to its lead, to open a 5-0 lead after 40 minutes.

Ramsay scored his second power-play goal of the night at 4:32, picking up the rebound of an Eizenman shot off the post and beating Lawson to the far side.

The Falcons stretched the lead to 4-0 at 10:16. Matt O’Dette’s long drive from the blue line was stopped by Lawson, but the rebound settled on Leisenring’s stick in the right-wing circle, and he buried the rebound for his first playoff goal, and bringing Lawson’s night to an end, as he was replaced in goal by Mike Mole.

Fresno was not done yet in the period, as John Morlang finished the period scoring with 2.3 seconds remaining to make it 5-0 after two periods. Morlang and Curtin skated into the Utah zone on a 2-on-1 rush, and Morlang set up Curtin in the left-wing circle, but the shot was knocked down and caromed right back to Morlang on the far post, and he tapped it home for his first of the series.

Rob Sirianni scored Utah’s lone goal 18:06 into the third period, putting the rebound of a Ryan Cruthers shot past Moreland for his second of the playoffs.

Matt Quinn set the final at 19:34, scoring Fresno’s third power-play goal of the game, putting home the rebound of a P.O. Beaulieu shot.

Fresno finished the night 3-for-8 on the power play, while holding Utah scoreless on five man-advantage chances.

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